Performance
For our testing, we listened to tracks primarily in Monitor mode, which is supposed to offer the flattest response of the four. We found the modes to all sound quite similar, however, and often wouldn’t know a different mode was being used if not for the LED display.
In Monitor mode, on tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s «Silent Shout,» the speakers deliver a powerful low-frequency response. At moderate to high volumes, there’s no distortion, though you can pump things up to insanely high levels, and if you max out the volume on your sound source and max out the bass on the speakers, some distortion can creep in. This is not a negative, as it’s hard to imagine these woofers distorting even at very high listening levels when reasonable bass levels have been set. At high volumes, it sounds like there’s a subwoofer connected.
Bill Callahan’s «Drover,» a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the S3000Pro’s general sound signature. The drums on this track are delivered without much exaggeration in the bass department—they sound full and natural, but if you want a little more oomph from them, the bass knob can dial in some lovely added low-end without muddling up the mix. The tweeters deliver bright, clear sound that highlights the acoustic strums and higher register percussive hits on this track.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s «No Church in the Wild,» the kick drum loop receives ideal high-mid presence, allowing it to retain its punch, while the loop’s sustain gets a subtle bass boost. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with excellent depth—again, subwoofer-like, but not in a way that upsets the balance of the mix. The vocal performances on this track are delivered cleanly and clearly without any sense of added sibilance—this is a bright, detailed sound signature with some excellent sub-bass anchoring. Generally speaking, the speakers sound accurate, with only a little added bass depth, and let you dial in your preferred bass and treble levels from this relatively flat starting point.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound excellent through the S3000Pro. The lower register instrumentation is delivered with richness and some added depth, but boosting is subtle, and of course, the bass can be dialed up or down, as well. The higher register brass, strings, and vocals retain their bright, crisp presence in the mix—this is an ideal sound signature for listening to classical or jazz recordings. This is mainly because Edifier sticks to a sound signature that’s light on obvious sculpting, and allows you to dial up (or down) bass and treble to your own preferences.
Conclusions
Six inputs, four cables, Bluetooth, a handsome design, and very powerful audio output with adjustable bass and treble: What’s not to like about the Edifier S3000Pro? Oh yeah, the $800 price tag. On the one hand, that price seems high, but on the other, these speakers essentially act as a powerful speaker and stereo receiver combo—just stream to them or plug your components directly in. This doesn’t exactly equate to a bargain, but it does help make the high price seem less over the top.
Typically, most of the speakers we test aren’t quite this expensive unless they’re soundbars. With that in mind, we like the $1,299 LG SL10YG, which is a 2.1 soundbar that can be used in the same scenarios you might use the S3000Pro. For less money, the $500 Marshall Woburn II Bluetooth and the $400 Klipsch R-41PM are both solid-sounding systems that are quite powerful for their prices. But if you have the budget for it, Edifier makes a strong case for the S3000Pro’s pricing.
Pros
- Powerful audio performance with excellent bass depth and high-frequency clarity.
- Bass and treble dials on back panel.
- Lots of connectivity options.
- Attractive design.
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The Bottom Line
The Edifier S3000Pro speakers deliver subwoofer-like bass depth and maintain a solid balance with the highs whether you use them for Bluetooth or wired audio.
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Design
The S3000Pro speakers are bulky at roughly 14.0 by 9.1 by 11.5 inches (HWD) each, but they are also nice to look at. Wood veneer paneling envelops most of the enclosure, while black cloth grilles (that can be removed) cover a 1-inch tweeter and 6.5-inch woofer on each speaker to deliver 256 watts (total) with a frequency range of 38Hz to 40kHz. Each speaker is ported on the back to aid efficient driver operation. The speakers can be purchased with optional floor stands, which brings the price to $949.98.
A power cable connects to the rear panel of each speaker, and both speakers have their own power switches on the back panels. The right speaker also houses an optical input (cable included), an RCA input (two cables included, one that terminates in 3.5mm for connecting phones and tablets), a USB input (cable included), a coaxial input, and even two XLR inputs (cables not included). So there are multiple ways to get audio into the system—including Bluetooth.
There’s an LED display on the front of the right speaker that tells you which input you’re using, though the markers are so tiny that you need to be up close to see what it says. The back panel of this speaker also houses multiple knobs. One is for volume, and when pressed in, it is also a clickable input selector. The other two knobs are for bass and treble control.
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The included remote control has buttons for Power, Mute, Input for all six options, and four EQ listening modes—Monitor (flat), Dynamic (highly sculpted), Classic (emulates a «classic hi-fi system,» whatever that is supposed to mean), and Vocal (emphasizes vocals). A central control pad has play/pause, volume up/down, and track forward/backward buttons. The fact that the volume is controlled by a knob on the speaker and buttons on the remote means that the two controls work independently of each other.
